VoCs Issue

Dear South Orange Residents and Business Owners,

In March 2011, the NJDEP cited the EOWC for exceeding
the allowable concentration of one volatile organic compound (VOC),
tetrachloroethylene, in drinking water distributed by EOWC. In
particular, the NJDEP’s Notice indicated that, based on twelve months of
water samples collected from within EOWC’s system through the first
quarter of 2011, the NJDEP had calculated a running annual average of
1.54 µg/L (micro-grams per liter) for tetrachloroethylene. The
applicable NJDEP regulations require that the running annual average for
tetrachloroethylene, not exceed the NJDEP’s maximum concentration limit
(“MCL”) of 1 µg/L, equivalent to 1 part per billion. The rounding
protocol currently used by the NJDEP treats a running annual average of
1.5 µg/L or greater as an exceedance. Thus, the 1.54 µg/L result
exceeded that figure.

In order to keep its residents advised of the current
quality of water being provided by EOWC to the South Orange residents,
the Village has decided to post on its website the concentrations of
tetrachloroethylene found in samples taken from two locations. The first
location is the EOWC finishing plant at the Millburn Pump Station,
which sample is taken from the blended water from all of the EOWC wells.
This sample is the official sample taken by EOWC and reported to the
NJDEP. This sample is now taken by EOWC once a month, and it was the
results from this sampling point which the NJDEP used to calculate the
2011 violation. The second location is from the tap at the Crest Drive
firehouse. Water at this location is a blend of the EOWC water and water
from Well No. 17 in South Orange, and is more indicative of the water that
is actually distributed by EOWC within the Village. The Trustees have
directed that samples at this location be taken independently of EOWC’s
sampling. Beginning in February 2012 samples from this location are
taken twice a month. The result of the EOWC testing and the Village’s
independent testing are set forth below.

Currently, the levels detected to not rise to the level
of a NJDEP violation, but, as can be seen, the levels are high enough to
warrant diligent monitoring. Please be assured that in the event there
are ever results which would cause health concerns, the Village will
immediately notify all affected water customers.